Green Deal Cashback scheme announced

Further details about the long awaited Green Deal scheme have been announced, providing a business opportunity for building services engineers with the right skills.

From January 28th homeowners in England and Wales can claim for Cashback on energy saving improvements like insulation, front doors, windows and boilers. Packages could be worth over £1000 – the more you do, the more you get.

Cashback will only be available to householders who get a Green Deal assessment, have work arranged through a Green Deal Provider (this could be directly with a national brand or through a local tradesperson linked with a Provider) and make a contribution to costs. Funding is limited so interested parties should get in quick before the money runs out.

If you have taken appropriate steps to become a Green Deal Provider/installer, encourage your customers to get assessments done early, as soon as the scheme opens, in order to apply and get approval for their Cashback voucher before improvement works begin.

CASHBACK ELIGIBILITY

The Cashback is open to any householder making energy saving improvements under the Green Deal, after 28th January 2013. This includes owner-occupiers, those renting privately or in social housing. Landlords, both private and social, are also eligible where they pay installation costs, up to certain limits. In all cases, Cashback will be capped at 50% of the householder’s contribution to costs.

To qualify for the Cashback householders must:

Have a Green Deal assessment carried out on the property

Get and agree quotes from a Green Deal Provider (this could be directly with a national brand or through a local tradesperson linked with a Provider)

Apply for Cashback voucher online or by phone. To make things easier some Providers will be able to apply on behalf of their customers

Receive voucher confirming the Cashback

Complete works within specified period

Redeem voucher, along with evidence of works completed, for Cashback.

Work must be done within a specified period – 6 months for Solid Wall Insulation, 3 months for other improvements and in all cases before 31 March 2014.

GREEN DEAL CASHBACK SCHEME: ELIGIBLE MEASURES AND CASH BACK AMOUNTS

These rates are guaranteed for the first £40m after which the rates are likely to reduce. Up to £125m has been earmarked for the scheme as a whole.

Loft insulation (including top up) and insulating cavity walls (where appropriate) are important, basic energy saving measures. So where a Green Deal assessment recommends these alongside other improvements, householders will only be able to get the Cashback if they do those too.